Soldano BCM Signature Amp Audio Files

The following Hi Gain rhythm tracks were played by Chris D’Abaldo, my good friend and founding guitarist for the hard rock band “Saliva”. I asked him to come to Lee Way Studios here in Memphis and bring both of his Gibson Les Pauls that he used while playing live with “Saliva”. Then I had him record four tracks using my own Soldano 44 BCM Signature model amps, serial #’s 1 and 2. I have a Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico 100 watt speaker in one amp and a Celestion Vintage 30 60 watt speaker in the other.

As far as recording gear in the studio, we used a Sennheiser 421 in the back of each amp with a Shure SM 57 in the front of each amp together as one track > 2 API 512C mic preamps > Pro Tools HD 7.2 software in 24 bit and 96k resolution.

Each amp was set up as follows for all four tracks. Normal volume 11 (dimed), no Lead volume used since these were rhythm tracks, Pregain 5.0, Reverb 1.5, Bass 9, Mids 3.9, Treble 8, and Presence 8. No pedals, plugins, or studio tricks were used to make these tracks. Chris used his guitars and my amps.

The first two tracks Hi Gain #1 and #2 were recorded with a Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker. Chris used his 1978 Gibson Les Paul Standard with a mahogany body, maple top, maple neck, and maple fret board using stock Gibson pickups in track #1, and then his Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Zakk Wylde Bullseye with EMG 81/85 pickups in track #2.

The next two tracks Hi Gain #3 and #4 were recorded with a Celestion Vintage 30, and the same guitars as the above tracks.

*** If you listen closely, you should be able to figure out which famous song Chris recorded with track #2 and #3 using his Bullseye Les Paul. Let me know if you figure it out. ***

Track #1 - Hi Gain

Track #2 - Hi Gain

Track #3 - Hi Gain

Track #4 - Hi Gain

The following 8 audio tracks are the same type riff played by my good friend and front man for the Southern rock band called “Monoxide Project”. Kish Moody is a Zakk Wylde clone that can play anything from funk bass, to mandolin, to gospel, praise, classic rock, Albert Lee style chicken picking, or hard charging alternative tuning modern rock. I asked him to showcase the amp with its own natural tone and NOTHING was used for these 8 tracks except guitar, cable, and amplifier. NO STUDIO TRICKS here at all. You will be able to hear when he rolls the guitar volume up and down and when he steps on the pedal to engage the Lead volume master.

For the first 8 tracks, Kish used his own 2004 Gibson Les Paul Classic with very hot stock 496R and 500T humbuckers, and a 1983 American Strat in all original condition, with a Solid Cables Dynamic Arc Beta guitar cable straight to the 44, then a Shure SM57 and Millennia microphone preamp through Pro Tools HD 7.2 software were used for these recordings.

These tracks will clearly show that this hi gain amplifier can cleanup and run with ANY amp imaginable in any setting. After all, it is a Soldano, so you know that when you choose to turn the pregain way up, it will get as nasty as you want.

The Soldano 44 Blues City Music Signature model combo was set up as follows for all 10 tracks except that the pregain was dialed in at 2.0 for the first 8 tracks: Lead volume 11, Normal volume 8.5, Pregain 3.0, Reverb 1.5, Bass 8, Mids 4, Treble 7, and Presence 7.

Track #1 - 44 BCM, Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker, Les Paul bridge pickup.

Track #2 - 44 BCM, Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker, Stratocaster bridge pickup.

Track #3 - 44 BCM, Jensen NEO speaker, Les Paul bridge pickup.

Track #4 - 44 BCM, Jensen NEO speaker, Stratocaster middle pickup.

Track #5 - 44 BCM, Celestion Vintage 30, Les Paul bridge pickup.

Track #6 - 44 BCM, Celestion Vintage 30, Stratocaster middle pickup.

Track #7 - 44 BCM, Eminence Legend, Les Paul bridge pickup.

Track #8 - 44 BCM, Eminence Legend, Stratocaster middle pickup.

For the next track, I had Kish use my 05’ Gibson Les Paul with custom wound Jason Lollar Imperial humbuckers at 7.6 and 8.4 ohm output, Tone Pros bridge assembly, Schaller nickel tuners, CTS 500k pots and Switchcraft pickup selector, Buzz Feiten tuning system, heavy stainless steel frets, and a PLEK’d fret board. He used my pedal board but only the KLON Centaur Overdrive as a clean boost at 2.0, and my Maxon AD 999 analog delay for depth. All amp settings were the same except the pregain was moved to 2.0. The same amp was used for the rhythm track and then Kish laid down the lead track.

Track #9 - 44 BCM, Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker, my Gibson Les Paul with neck and bridge pickups.

For the next track, I had Kish use my 06’ Tom Anderson Cobra S with a mahogany body and neck, maple top, and African Rosewood fret board. Tom’s own H1 and H2+ humbuckers were installed in this guitar, and Kish used the middle position but with the tone control knob pulled. This allowed both pickups to be split engaging only the forward coil of each pickup for a vintage “Tele” tone. Pickup output was 5.5 ohms. He used my pedal board but only the KLON Centaur Overdrive with the gain at 2.0, my Maxon AD 999 analog delay for depth, and a Pro Tools HD Fairchild Compressor. All amp settings were the same except the pregain was moved to 2.0. The same amp was used for the rhythm track and then Kish laid down the lead track.

Track #10 - 44 BCM, Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker, my Tom Anderson Cobra S in "Tele" mode (split humbuckers).